Editing WeaponsofSpace (section)

== Talons ==
Class III Earthly Weapons of the Gods!


The Bridge of Birds has a monumental task -- theirs is the responsibility of traveling from planet to planet, bearing messages, shipments, and all the trappings of civilization, while simultaneously restoring order, upholding the rule of the Emperor, and assuring that no-one has fallen to the Void.  When their founder, Captain Birdy Pants, was given his post, he despaired at the impossibility of ever creating a force that could withstand and overcome the challenges such a mandate presented.  Desperately seeking help, he set out for the Gates of Heaven, but was turned back before he reached them by the Emperor of Heaven's elite starfighters.  Hovering at the edge of the demilitarized zone, he kneeled in supplication for three months before he passed out.  As he slept, a dream of the Celestial Goddess came to him and told him what to do to fulfill his duties admirably.  When he awoke, he immediately returned to the Capital, where he fashioned for himself the very first talon.


Although talons are all alike, they are all totally different.  One may be a carefully carved bone, the next a collection of jade-inked coins on a string, the next merely a bracelet of multicolored feathers.


Legends tell of twin brothers who wished to have talons exactly alike. When the elder brother's talon was finished, he headed out to face down a group of Hell Clan invaders, while the craftsman worked on the younger brother's weapon.  Unfortunately, as he put the finishing touches on it, the elder brother's talon sputtered and died -- for when two talons are made exactly alike, neither will function!  The elder brother's end was quick and grisly; the younger brother's, slow and grieving.


Although every talon is crafted differently, the principles behind each remain the same.  The materials, carefully chosen and arranged, act as a focus for chi manipulation, which can be detected upon examination with a Difficult (20) Awareness roll.  When used with the Bridge of Birds' specialized kung fu, Breaking the Eggshell, a talon can be activated by investing chi into it, causing it to extrude a "blade" composed of coherent chi about the length of a longsword's blade.  This blade constantly glows the color of the chi invested in the talon.  It has no actual weight or mass, but it has the cutting power of any god- weapon of its level.  There are rumors of talons that manifest blades other than longswords, but they are rare at best.  When activated, talons also have small manifestations relating to their planet of origin; talons crafted in Hell Clan areas will cause the user's hand to flicker with fire, while those crafted in SOME CLOUDY PLACE will give off wisps of vapor.


Like any god-weapon, crafting a talon requires superlative crafting skill and intense passion.  Many Bridge of Birds craftsmen are motivated by the desire to defeat the Void and keep civilization together; several groups of adepts accompany these craftsmen as they travel the known worlds in search of previously unused materials that can be made into more talons.  Given sufficient skill, the best raw materials, and a truly overwhelming desire, stronger talons can be and have been crafted -- even Class II Heavenly talons are known to exist!



<B>Talon</B> -- Class III Earthly Longsword of the Gods<BR>
Speed +5, Strike +15, Damage +10, artful


<B>Effortless Power:</B> Pure Energy.  In their deactivated state, talons are not weapons at all -- not even kung fu techniques that work on any weapon work on them!  While activated, they possess blades composed of chi alone.  Since these blades have no mass, they cannot be effectively wielded in any but the most precise manner: they cannot be used with Brutal or even Artful/Brutal kung fu!  Only kung fu which works with Artful weaponry alone possesses the necessary delicacy.  While contact with forces too great for it can cause the talon's blade to be damaged or even shatter it into dissolving fragments of chi, all such damage is temporary, and will be gone the next time the talon is activated.  The method by which a talon focuses and concentrates chi can be discerned from its makeup -- a talon available for study and experimentation counts as a tutor for the purposes of learning the first Breaking the Eggshell technique, First Glimpse of Light.


<B>Destiny Costs:</B><BR>
The following supersedes the normal god-weapon destiny costs.<BR>
<B>8 Fortune:</B> You possess a talon.  They are quite rare!  Usually only members of the Bridge of Birds have talons.  Is it a family heirloom? Perhaps it was given to you by a mysterious man for whom you did an immense favor?  Possibly you just killed an adept and took it.  This purchase is only available at character creation; however, see the next purchase.<BR>
(-3) You are a member of the Bridge of Birds.<BR>
<B>3 Fortune:</B> You will come across an opportunity to obtain a talon.<BR>
<B>1 Defense:</B> You learn useful defenses against talons.<BR>
<B>1 Defense:</B> Having previously learned useful defenses against talons, you learn to make Quality Weapons that have as their special property immunity to damage caused by contact with talons.<BR>
<B>4 Bonus:</B> You receive the loresheet "Making Weapons of the Gods" for free, even if you do not have the loresheets necessary for it. However, you may only craft talons.  You may purchase the loresheet again to gain the ability to craft other god-weapons..<BR>